


the best people in life are free

by plinys



Category: Agent Carter (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-30
Updated: 2014-12-30
Packaged: 2018-03-04 08:10:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3029510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plinys/pseuds/plinys
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Peggy gets called at 2am in the morning to (once again) bail her friend out of jail, she doesn't expect to end up meeting somebody else along the way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the best people in life are free

**Author's Note:**

> part of the steggy secret santa over on tumblr!

The clock on her desk tells Peggy that she’s already been up way too long. As if the fact that the paperwork she was looking over was already starting to blur together wasn't enough of a sign.

Her fingers curl around her tea mug bringing it to her lips in hope of something mildly refreshing only to find even more proof that she had been up too late when the drink turns out to be a lot colder than she had expected.

“One more cup, then bed,” she tells herself, as she gets up from her desk grimacing at the folders of documents littering her desk, before leaving her office for the kitchen.

There’s the sound of some program on the tv, one of those late night (or early morning) talk shows that her roommate is obsessed with watching. Of course, Colleen usually worked the night shift, so it wasn’t entirely surprising to find the other woman up on the couch, unable to get a decent night’s rest even on her day off.

“You should try to sleep at some point,” Peggy points out.

The other woman’s reply to that is to scoff a bit, but turn down the volume on the television.

“I think your boyfriend called,” Colleen says, grabbing Peggy’s phone – which she had apparently left on their coffee table – and waving it in her direction, “at least, there was a picture of a guy and you do have a lot of texts between him and you-“

She snatches the phone from her roommates hand, who pouts at her, as Peggy says, “you mean my,” she pauses trying to search for a way to say _partner in crime_ without giving her roommate the wrong idea, in the end she settles for, “boss?”

“Plenty of women date their bosses,” is all she has to say in return, wrapping one of the blankets from their couch around her shoulders, “you just have to get out there and try it!”

“I’m perfectly fine as is,” Peggy gives her a small smile, before turning her attention towards her phone.

The latest message, a text two hours before that had been mostly gibberish that had equated to _‘if I die tell j he can have my cat’_ before she had complete radio silence from him.

Now there was a voice mail, which meant one of three things: Howard was too drunk to text, he was currently kidnapped and being held for ransom and this was his kidnappers calling, or he was in jail _again._

Even as she clicked on the button that would open up the voice mail, she already knew that she was going to put her money on jail.

_“Hey pal, not a big deal or anything, but I might have gotten arrested,”_ ah yes- the shock of the century, _“and you’re not picking up your phone... Peggy, why aren’t you picking up your phone? You always pick up your phone! Shit, I hope they give me another call,”_ he mumbles something that she can’t catch, probably asking the guard if he can have one since she didn’t pick up in time, before finally saying something that she can catch, _“I lost my wallet at the – the thing, and they don’t believe I’m **me** or that I can pay my own bail. Which is absurd because I can, or could,” _ he grumbles some more inaudible stuff before, _“just be a pal Peg, and come bail me out of jail, I’ll owe you one?”_

She sighs when the message ends and the friendly voice on the other end offers to repeat the message for her.

Sure, Peggy had known it was coming since his text two hours ago, but she had really hoped that somebody else could have been called in for this.

“I’m going to go out for a few hours-“

“On a hot date,” her roommate coos, and Peggy thinks she honestly might hurt herself if she tries any harder.

“Yes, because my ideal hot date involves bailing my boss out of jail,” Peggy snorts, grabbing her purse off the table.

“Who knows, maybe you’ll meet a guy on your way there?

 “Colleen, if there’s one thing I can assure you, it’s that no part of this is going to end up with me meeting some dream guy.”

Thirty minutes, one passive aggressive playlist titled ‘ _I’m going to punch Howard Stark in the face_ ,’ an eight dollar parking pass, and four awkward hellos later - she’s about ready to eat her words.

Because there standing in the police department, apparently already having rescued Howard from the clutches of modern law enforcement is one of the most attractive men that she has ever laid eyes on, and that’s saying something, because she has a roommate that tosses every available guy she finds in Peggy’s direction.

Though it’s not his very impressive chest or the far too small shirt that makes him such a catch (though that certainly helps), it’s the sheepish smile on his face as he apologizes – honest to god, _apologizes_ – for something that he had no control over.

“I feel bad, making you come out here for nothing,” he says, still looking all apologetic.

“It’s alright, I was awake anyways,” she says, suddenly wishing that she had thought to throw on more than an oversized hoodie before coming over here.

He nods a bit, “if there’s anything I could do to make it up to you, just say the word.”

“At two in the morning,” Peggy teases, arching an eyebrow.

“Sure, or later, whenever you’re not busy. I could give you my number? I’ll bail you out of jail if you ever needed it.”

She laughs at that notion, “usually I’m smart enough not to get caught.”

“I knew there was something I liked about you.”

And as if she wasn’t already smitten, he had to go and give her one of those dopey smiles.

It just wasn’t even fair.

“I’m Peggy, by the way.”

“Steve,” he replies, “Steve Rogers, that is.”

She meant to say something next about how nice meeting him was, or that it made this whole situation a bit more bearable, but instead she finds that the next words out of her mouth are, “do you like pancakes?”

“What?”

“Because there’s a diner about a block over that is open till four in the morning. My roommate works there, but she’s got the night off,” Peggy explains, “they have wonderful pancakes.”

That earns her another one of his smiles, “I do like pancakes.”

“You’ll be ‘making it up to me’ if you let me treat you to the best pancakes in town.”

“You’re one of those incredibly forward go-getter types, aren’t you?”

“Now, don’t say that like it’s a bad thing.”

“I wasn’t,” he insists, “those types happen to be my favorite types of people.”

“Is that right?”

“Peggy.”

“Yes?”

 “I’d very much like to get pancakes with you,” Steve says.

“Perfect, then you should probably grab you coat and we can say goodbye to these lovely officers.”

“Done deal,” Steve replies, doing exactly as she said, before offering his arm to her like some sort of southern gentleman.

It’s all a bit silly, but she blames her lack of sleep for the bit of giddiness she feels as she slips her arm through his.

They’re almost out the door when somebody stops them, calling out, “Hey! What about me? I’m the whole reason you two even met, you can’t just leave me here!”

 “Oh, call a cab!”

 


End file.
